Firebirds’ Kole Sherwood named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Kole Sherwood of the Flint Firebirds is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 15 after recording 11 points in three games including seven goals and four assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

Sherwood produced a trio of multi-point efforts last week on the road highlighted by an impressive seven points on Tuesday where he tied an all-time franchise record with five goals. The best single-game performance in the OHL this season led the Firebirds to an 11-2 victory over the Saginaw Spirit with Sherwood claiming first star honours. His seven points shattered a previous career-high of three, while the five goal output topped a career-best of two and equal the all-time franchise mark set by Kevin Brown on December 1, 1993, for the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, one shy of the OHL’s best single game mark of six. Sherwood’s week also included a goal and an assist on Friday despite a 5-2 loss to the Niagara IceDogs, and wrapped up with another goal and assist on Saturday as third star of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Erie Otters. The Firebirds now carry a 20-18-1-3 record for 44 points holding onto the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

Kole Sherwood of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A 19-year-old from New Albany, Ohio, Sherwood is playing in his second career OHL season and first with the Firebirds after winning an OHL and Mastercard Memorial Cup title with the London Knights last season. He currently ranks 13th in league scoring with 50 points in 38 games including 22 goals and 28 assists surpassing previous career-highs (34–12-22) in all offensive categories. Sherwood made history in July, 2015, when he became the first Columbus native to sign an entry-level contract with the hometown Blue Jackets.

Also considered for the award this week was IceDogs’ captain Ryan Mantha who recorded nine points including one goal and eight assists from the blue line in a trio of Niagara wins, and Florida Panthers prospect Adam Mascherin of the Kitchener Rangers who took over the OHL’s scoring lead with eight assists in four games to bring his current totals to 27 goals and 46 assists for 73 points in 41 games. In goal, 2017 NHL Draft prospect Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires went 2-0-0-0 stopping 62 shots for a goals-against-average of 1.44 and save percentage of .954.